The 2025 tennis season just began, but the WTA has some great matches scheduled for this weekend.
The good news is that these are matches tennis fans would expect to see in the latter stages of a Grand Slam tournament. The bad news is that they are happening in Australia so it will be necessary to wake up in the middle of the night (Eastern Time, USA) to see them airing live on the Tennis Channel.
1. Iga Swiatek vs. Elena Rybakina, United Cup
Two Grand Slam champions and Top 5 players representing their countries are featured in the first semifinal match of the United Cup in Sydney, Australia. Iga Swiatek, representing Poland, will face Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan.
Battle of Indian Wells champions 💪@iga_swiatek faces Elena Rybakina tonight in the @UnitedCupTennis SFs!#TennisParadise pic.twitter.com/lxym8qEQe9
— BNP Paribas Open (@BNPPARIBASOPEN) January 3, 2025
The two players have met six times since 2021 with Rybakina leading 4-2. Swiatek and Rybakina split their 2024 meetings with Swiatek winning the final at Doha and Rybakina winning the semifinal in Stuttgart.
These matches have rarely been one-sided affairs. Some have gone three sets while others have required tiebreakers.
2. Coco Gauff vs. Karolina Muchova, United Cup
If Karolina Muchova is not the best WTA player to ever win a Grand Slam, she is on the shortlist. She is the 2023 French Open finalist and a three-time Grand Slam semifinalist.
This is going to be blockbuster 🔥#CocoGauff #KarolinaMuchova #Tennis pic.twitter.com/FZYe98S88F
— Sportskeeda Tennis (@SK__Tennis) January 3, 2025
Injuries have hindered her, but she appears healthy as she has played great for the Czech Republic team in the United Cup. She will face 2023 US Open champion Coco Gauff on Saturday night in Sydney.
Gauff has never lost to Muchova, owning a 3-0 record with all wins coming on hard courts. Two of those wins were in the summer of 2023, affectionately known as the “Summer of Coco,” in Cincinnati and at the US Open. Coco Gauff also beat Muchova in Beijing in Fall 2024. She has never dropped a set to Muchova.
3. Aryna Sabalenka vs. Mirra Andreeva, Brisbane International
17-year-old Mirra Andreeva has climbed the ranks quickly in the past couple of years. She recently teamed with Aryna Sabalenka to play doubles in World Tennis League action, but the two will face each other in Brisbane.
Aryna Sabalenka & Mirra Andreeva d. Elena Rybakina & Caroline Garcia 7-6(5) at World Tennis League
Well that was fun
Nothing like some friendly doubles to kick off the season
Hawks win the 1st set of the event
Tennis is back ❤️ pic.twitter.com/w6kLECw694
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) December 19, 2024
Sabalenka leads the head-to-head 2-1, but Andreeva won their last meeting at the 2024 French Open.
Andreeva’s coach is Grand Slam champion Conchita Martinez. However, another Grand Slam champion and a player that Andreeva is frequently comparted to, Martina Hingis, recently revealed that Andreeva asked her to be her coach. Hingis declined the offer as she chose to stay home with her family.
